Talk:Sylvanus Morley

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[edit] Chichen Itza

Good article! However I removed the phrase refering to Chichen Itza "of which little was known other than it covered an extensive area." This seems to me an inaccurate overgeneralization. Certainly no major archeological project of the like had been conducted there previously, but the surface structures had been photographed, drawn, and mapped repeatedly for generations by a number of researchers (eg Maudslay, Maler, etc). (There had even been some earlier excavations, from amateur Edward H. Thompson and crackpot Augustus Le Plongeon -- I think our article on Le Plongeon is too kind, but that's a seperate issue.) Cheers, -- Infrogmation 16:15, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

Thanks, Infrogmation, and I agree with your alteration. I ran out of time last night to properly expand what Morley actually achieved in his excavations, and overlooked the work of his predecessors. As for the le Plongeons, I certainly agree that they were at the very least eccentrics, and that today their contributions are noted more for curiosity value than anything substantial. They did pioneer some photographic techniques, but of course their theories were not widely held even at the time; even so they might have then sounded more plausible back then than they do today. The most comprehensive account on the le Plongeons available would seem to derive from someone who did his PhD on them, and is perhaps a little biased in their favour; if I get around to it I may put a little more context into their articles. Ciao, --cjllw | TALK 23:28, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

I removed the phrase "whose scholarly investigations he commenced" from the introduction refering to Chichen for about the same reason as mentioned above. -- Infrogmation 17:28, 20 April 2006 (UTC)

Thanks Infrogmation- fine with me.--cjllw | TALK 04:05, 22 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Two Sylvanus G. Morleys

As noted in the article, there were actually two individuals named Sylvanus Griswold Morley in operation at the time: the archaeologist, and his older cousin the Spanish professor. This has resulted in some confusion of their biographical details in some sources; in particular, several sources used here give the archaeologist's birthplace as Baldwinville, MA. However, according to the Spanish professor's autobiography, he was born in Baldwinville, so I have elected to follow Columbia Ency. and give Chester, PA. as the archaeologist's birthplace- at least until more definitive sources can be found.--cjllw | TALK 23:17, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

[edit] The inspiration for Indiana Jones?

I wonder if Mr. Morley was the inspiration for Indiana Jones - I mean, he looks uncannily like Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark. This Fire Burns Always 02:15, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

Heh - I guess he does! It has been speculated, and is mentioned in the article (see the "Summation" section. It may have been him, according to one source, although the Carnegie Institution notes it might have been one of his field directors, Earl Morris. I'm not sure if Speilberg himself has said anything about it, tho'.--cjllw | TALK 02:28, 14 July 2006 (UTC)